


Loyalty and Trust

by aislingdoheanta



Series: Intimate Conversations [1]
Category: Spartacus Series (TV), Spartacus: Vengeance
Genre: Canon Era Fic, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Episode 2.02, Episode: A Place in This World, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-08
Updated: 2013-04-08
Packaged: 2017-12-07 20:38:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/752856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aislingdoheanta/pseuds/aislingdoheanta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spartacus asks Nasir to send the Roman scouts away from the villa in a show of trust and a test of loyalty.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loyalty and Trust

**Author's Note:**

> I added a little Agron and Nasir scene before the scene we see in Vengeance. Nasir's Point of View for that scene in Episode 2 of Vengeance.
> 
> EDIT: chupaChak has translated this story into Polish! [Lojalność i zaufanie](http://archiveofourown.org/works/806713)  
> I don't know how if there's a way to include this as a proper addition for the story, so it's going to be in notes!

Nasir stood up, facing Spartacus and his men as Crixus announced the presence of Roman soldiers. He wanted to walk closer to hear what was being said, but dared not. This didn’t concern him.

Spartacus raised his head and beckoned Nasir to him. He hesitantly walked, feeling Crixus' eyes on him as well as those of Agron's. Strangely it was the German’s gaze that felt less threatening.

“Tiberius, there is something I’d have you do,” Spartacus said slowly as other men started clearing the people from the courtyard.

“Spartacus, you cannot place trust in this boy!” Crixus said angrily. “He holds no loyalty to you.”

“Neither do you, yet here you stand,” Agron said sounding annoyed.

Nasir only had time to blink before Crixus had rounded on the other man, hand on his sword.

“My loyalty is to Spartacus!” Crixus nearly shouted.

“Your loyalty is to what brings Naevia to you,” Agron shot back. His hand also falling to his sword.

“Enough!” Spartacus said. “There is not time for foolish quarrels.”

He turned his attention back to Nasir. “Tiberius, do you think that you can turn scouts away?”

“How do you mean?” Nasir asked.

“They will call here and I would have you not announce anything is amiss. Tell them nothing of our presence. I fear they will send word for more soldiers if they think anything wrong,” Spartacus said.

“I...will try,” Nasir said finally, though he had no idea how this would come to pass. He felt eyes boring into his back but did not turn from Spartacus to see whose they were. “What would you have me do?”

“Greet them and say your dominus is away,” Spartacus said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “They should leave and our presence still hidden from the Romans.”

“Of course. Whatever you require,” Nasir said. The  _dominus_  was on his tongue, though he wished it was not.

“Gratitude, Tiberius,” Spartacus said as he bowed his head. He took his leave with Crixus to wait behind the curtain.

Nasir looked around and saw a few men following Crixus and Spartacus. Agron was herding some men toward the side. Seeing everyone leave gave Nasir a moment of pause for he was truly alone in this attempt to misguide the soldiers.

His heart beat a little faster in his chest, fear starting to claw its way out of his throat. He was not used to this sort of thing. Yes, he had to keep his dominus' secrets on pain of death, but he was never asked directly about them. He was never specifically required to lie to those in front of him who may kill him.

“You appear troubled,” Agron's quiet voice said from his side. “Do not fear Roman shits. They will be gone soon enough. Would it be because they are all sent to the afterlife.”

Nasir looked at him and tried to smile. “You would see them there by own hand if you could.”

“As you should for all their injustices to you,” he said angrily. “Yet we are just meant to send them back on their fucking way.”

“What if they do not return way they came?” Nasir asked quietly. If it had been anyone else, Nasir wouldn't have asked, but there was something about the German that Nasir trusted. Something between them that gave Nasir’s concerns a voice.

Agron placed a hand on Nasir's shoulder and smiled. “Then we shall fight.” He motioned toward where Spartacus and Crixus were hiding.

“All are close for such an opportunity.” Agron did not remove his hand from where it rested on his shoulder.

Nasir nodded and glanced again toward the door. He felt unprepared, a strange feeling for a prized slave in a Roman household. But this was a territory he'd never visited before. Not only was he worried about getting through the act alive, but also that he didn’t betray Spartacus, the man who had spared his life. Even when Nasir hadn’t wanted him to.

The pounding on the door started Nasir out of his thoughts.

“If fighting does break out, see yourself to safety,” Agron whispered as the hand on his shoulder tightened. Then he was gone without another word.

Nasir took a breath and walked to the door to open it. The Roman guard pushed his way passed Nasir before he could move out of the way. The other guards followed suit.

“I would have words with your dominus. On orders of Seppius,” the guard demanded.

“Apologies,” Nasir said as he rushed to stand before the man. “Business had called him to Picentia.”

“Picentia?” The man glanced at him, his eyes hardening.

“I've never known him to favor the city,” he continued as he walked toward Nasir, forcing him to retreat.

Nasir swallowed and walked until he happened upon the stairs behind him.

“He does not. He favors its whores.” Nasir leaned forward with a small smile.

The guard huffed out a laugh. “You are his body slave, are you not?”

Nasir nodded, placing his hands again behind his back. “Tiberius.”

“Tiberius,” the guard nodded. “Tell me,” he said as he began drawing out his sword. “Why you are not at your dominus' side.”

He held the gladius out, the sharp edge near Nasir's chest.

Nasir's breath caught as he glanced at the other men, all drawing their weapons. He forced himself to continue on, coming up with the words as they fell from his lips. “Because there's no one he trusts more to see his villa attended while his cock is satisfied.”

The man smiled but it was neither warm nor kind. “You serve your master well.” His eyes fell to Nasir's neck before narrowing.

Nasir felt his own eyes drop briefly, realizing his mistake. He looked back up, forcing himself not to tremble in the man's gaze.

“Return to your charge,” he said suddenly as he turned to leave.

Nasir had to fix this.

“Wait,” he called out. He placed his hands again behind his back and prayed that one of the warriors behind him would understand what he was doing. “You have come a fair distance from Capua. Come, I will give you something to make effort worthwhile.”

He barely had time to register the man's smile before he heard a shout coming from behind him. He found himself on the ground, unsure if he was pushed or fell out of the way. He was thankful to the gods either way. He was no fighter, let alone a warrior.

Nasir watched as the few men, who only yesterday captured his villa, fought these Roman guards.  _They_  were warriors, gladiators, and those who had been taught by such. They moved with a strange mixture of grace and wrath and it was intriguing to Nasir, someone who had never truly seen the games nor any battle such as this.

It was also unnerving for there was much blood and loud, angry cries filling the air. He watched as Crixus pierced a Roman with his gladius and Spartacus threw out a fist. Agron jumped on a man with only a dagger in his hand. He stabbed him again, angry shouts falling from his lips right before another Roman hit his face with his sword.

Nasir saw blood fall from Agron's mouth and felt concern for the man grab him.

Agron was obviously full of anger and wrath, as many have said, but Nasir felt like he could understand it, understand him. He was full of grief over losing his brother, though how exactly that came to pass Nasir did not yet know. Yet there was a warmth, a gentleness that Nasir had seen earlier that evening when he had brought him a drink and asked him his name. Nasir did not want to stand idly by and watch two men who showed him kindness fall, so he grabbed the gladius from before him and rushed out.

His first thought was to reach Agron, but as he looked, he saw the guard he had spoken to advancing on Spartacus, who yet remained unaware. He rushed at the man, holding the blade out. It pierced through the man’s chest.

Nasir felt the blade drop from his hand as his eyes met Spartacus'. The man gave a small nod of gratitude before he felt a hand around his neck and the stone pillar at his back. Crixus was in front of him with fury in his eyes. Nasir uselessly grabbed at the arm in front of him, trying to pry it from his neck.

“Why did you stop them from leaving?” Crixus hissed at him. Nasir saw Agron move forward, whether in threat or in an attempt at protection, he did not know. He could only focus on the fury that was before him.

Spartacus stepped forward. “He killed a man!”

“When he saw they would not win,” Crixus said, his eyes never leaving Nasir's face.

“His eyes fell to my neck! He saw the absence of my collar. If I had not allowed him in, he would have returned with more men!” He explained, still trying to pull at the arm.

Crixus removed his hand and Nasir felt himself tremble as he took in a breath. His eyes fell to the floor in front of him until Spartacus spoke. “You did well, Tiberius.”

That name sounded  _wrong_  now. Tiberius was nothing more than a body slave to his dominus. The little Syrian boy who was forced into slavery when he was but a child. He was no longer that boy who blindly followed orders. He belonged to no one and could become the man  _he_  chose to be.

“Nasir,” he said suddenly. His eyes shifted to Agron's as he said, “My brother called my Nasir.”

He hoped that Agron would understand that he was attempting to show faith in the man, to trust him, by allowing him, them, to know the name he used to have. The name that he could once again claim as his own.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If there's anything you wish to see or request, just let me know! Either here or on tumblr: saras-almanac.tumblr.com
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
